Windsor cat lovers, take note: The city wants you to have your furry friends fixed — and its willing to foot the bill if you can’t afford the operation.

As of Tuesday, the City of Windsor has launched its first voucher program for spaying and neutering cats.

A total of 1,000 vouchers are now available city-wide to low-income keepers of feline pets.

Each voucher is redeemable for $75 towards spaying or neutering services at participating local veterinary hospitals.

Those who want to apply for vouchers are asked to call 311. A declaration of income will be required to qualify for vouchers.

Qualifying cat owners can receive a maximum of two vouchers.

If you’re caring for feral cats, you can receive a maximum of four vouchers, with no income qualifications.

The vouchers are redeemable at:

Brack Animal Hospital — 519-966-1020

Branton Animal Hospital — 519-253-3556

Clearwater Animal Hospital — 519-253-7204

Forest Glade Animal Hospital — 519-735-6013

South Windsor Animal Hospital — 519-969-7390

Windsor-Essex County Humane Society — 519-966-1118

Voucher recipients should call in advance to book a spay/neuter appointment. For more information, call 311 or visit www.citywindsor.ca.

The program was approved in this year’s operating budget. It’s meant to be a response to public concerns about Windsor’s overpopulation of stray cats.

The Windsor-Essex County Humane Society has said that its intake of homeless cats has increased every year since 2006, resulting in hundreds of healthy felines having to be destroyed each year.

In 2011, the WECHS had to euthanize 869 healthy cats, despite a record number of adoptions.

Ward 9 Coun. Hilary Payne, who proposed the voucher program back in February, said he’s pleased it has become a reality.

“It had been talked about for a whole lot of years,” he said. “Something had to be done.”

Payne believes the program will reduce the number of cats in Windsor that are born into “an appalling existence” on the streets. “I’ve got a lot of sympathy for those animals,” he added.

Payne said he’s heard estimates on the city’s total population of stray cats as high as 60,000. “I don’t think anybody knows for sure.”

Since it’s the city’s first attempt at such a program, Payne feels its reception and results will need to be reviewed over the coming year. But he pointed out there are other municipalities that have similar programs in place.

According to Payne, healthy cats can produce up to four litters a year. “They say rabbits have a reputation, but cats are not far behind.”

Payne considers himself a cat person. He and his wife own four, all of which have been fixed.

He’s particularly sentimental about his pet cat Fifi — short for Phoenix. “She rose from the ashes.”

Payne said his wife discovered Fifi as a lifeless kitten on their doorstep about a year ago.

Initially, they thought she was dead, and put her in a garbage bag.

Later, they were surprised to hear the garbage bag mewing.

“She’s just incredible,” Payne said. “That cat has got personality like you would not believe.”

A cat sits quietly at the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society in this November 2011 file photo. (Tyler Brownbridge / The Windsor Star)

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